


Never Be Alone

by banana567



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (It’s okay it gets better!), Abused Harry, Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Baby Harry, Cute Harry, Daddy Snape, Gen, Good Severus Snape, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Neglected Harry, OoC Snape, Sarcastic Snape, Severus Snape Adopts Harry Potter, Severus Snape Has a Heart, harry is the cutest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-23 09:11:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16156031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banana567/pseuds/banana567
Summary: Basically another run of the mill Snape saving abused Harry from the Dursley’s and raising him. Hopefully with a lot of feels because I love baby Harry. (Yes, this is named after the song by Shawn Mendes because I am very original and creative)





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi this is my first fic and I know its very cliche and everybody has written this plot before but oh well, there can never be too many baby Harry fics to me. Um hope you enjoy I guess:)

Oh gods. Here he was again, running the old fool’s errands for him. What did he look like, an errand boy? Ugh why was Severus Snape, right hand man to old Voldy himself, being tasked to check up on Potter? Was Dumbles getting too old and deluded to give Severus, of all people, this task? 

Severus stalked down Privet Drive angrily, cloak swishing behind him, looking every bit like the bat that he was likened to by all of his students, grumbling unhappily to himself the whole time. 

How old was the boy anyway? 2? 3? No he’s probably about 2. Oh he better not be an insolent brat just like his father was. Severus stopped in front of the Dursley’s door and knocked three times. It sounded quite ominous, which pleased him greatly. A pudgy little ball of fat, which looked to be a mini humpback whale opened the door amidst hollers from inside. “Duddekins, wait for Mummy before you open the door!” Petunia Dursley nee Evans yelled while making her way to the open door. Severus sneered at the horse of a woman and drawled “Why hello Tuney, how great to see you again”, his voice dripping in sarcasm. She shrieked and pushed the lump that she called a son behind her. “You! What are you doing here? I don’t want anything to do with your kind! Get out of here!” 

Severus rolled his eyes and skirted around them into the house, saying “Oh can it won’t you. I’m just here to check on Potter. Speaking of which, where is he currently?” Petunia squeaked and directed Severus to the front room, spouting some excuses about how she was just going to fetch him, while trying to get him to focus on Dudley and not her. She left the room in a flash and Severus heard the sound of a key ring jingling and a door banging open, followed by the low tones of Petunia whispering. Wondering what the blazes was going on and where the Potter boy was, he tried to leave the front room, but was stopped by the beach whale of a 2 year old trying to climb up on his as if he was a jungle gym. He pried the kid off of him and focused his attention on the door when he heard a quiet sniffling sound. 

Petunia was guiding mini Potter into the room, and Severus, expecting him to look much like his whale of a cousin, was surprised to see a tiny little boy no bigger than a one year old. The fact that he was huddling in on himself, terrified, did nothing for his size either. Severus instantly went on alert, seeing his size, the way he was acting, and the overall demeanour of the boy. What was supposed to be a ‘routine’ check up on the boy had clearly and very quickly turned into something much more serious. Being the head of Slytherin, he had come by a multitude of cases of child abuse and neglect over the years, and had learnt to recognise the signs of it in young children. His student were much older than Potter was of course, but in Potter, he saw himself. He saw himself at 2, huddling under the bed, trying to get away from a drunk Tobias. He saw himself on his 4th birthday, getting beat black and blue by Tobias after his first occurrence of accidental magic. He saw himself at 5, clenched in a ball and Tobias standing over him, belt in hand.

Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart and keep his simmering fury at bay, he immediately decided that the boy was the priority in this situation, and Severus was going to do something about it, no matter what Dumbledore had to say. This was just a child, Lily’s child. She would never have allowed this to happen. To reassure the boy, Severus immediately realised that he was going to have to drop his ‘scary professor’ persona and be… gentle.

“Hello Mr Potter. My name is Severus. There is no need to be frightened child, I merely wish to speak to you. Would that be acceptable?” He asked as nicely as Severus Snape, the evil bat of the dungeons was able to. The little boy looked up with shining emerald eyes and nodded once, slightly, immediately looking down at his filthy shoes again. That was enough for Severus and he ‘politely’ asked Petunia to leave with Dudley, the great lump who had fallen asleep on the floor. 

Now alone with Potter, Severus decided that the first order of business was to get some food into the tiny little thing. He ushered Potter into the kitchen and said “Now, what would you like in your sandwich? Um you can eat a sandwich can’t you? I have to admit I’m a little unclear on what little humans can and cannot eat.” That elicited a little giggle from Potter and lead to him passionately pleading his case, “‘cos I can eat a samwich! And I’s not little, I’s a whole too years old!” Then, more tentatively, he looked up at Severus from underneath his bangs (gods he really needs a haircut) and hesitantly said “I’s get a samwich? Awl for Harry? No left’vers?” 

Severus’s ice cold heart warmed while simultaneously breaking a little, feeling for this little child, who was marveling at the thought of getting his own food. Severus knelt down in front of him and said “Yes, you can get a sandwich that’s all yours. No leftovers. And you know what? You can even get a whole cup of milk to go along with the meal!” Potter let out a little gasp at that, eyes shining, and wrapped his arms around Severus’s leg, though he couldn’t reach the whole way round. He clung tight and exclaimed “Fank you Mista ‘nape! Fank you so much!”

Potter bounced around the kitchen excitedly while Severus prepared the sandwiches, obediently fetching things he needed, or informing Severus where they were kept. Once done, Potter helped to set the table and they finally sat down to their meal, the first complete one that he was going to have in over a year. Sitting down in front of his plate, Potter suddenly withdrew into himself and seemed frightened to even touch the food. Severus sighed internally, realising the impact of the Dursley’s actions, and informed the boy that it was completely fine to eat the sandwich. After that reassurance, Potter inhaled the first half of the sandwich, only slowing down once told to do so. Severus leaned back and watched him amusedly, feeling fondness for the boy creeping up on him.


	2. The Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Harry tells Severus about what’s been going on in the house. *gasp*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow my chapter titles are so lame, forgive me lol. Also wow I expected like 1 person to read my story and ignore it but thanks for the great response:) I hope you guys continue enjoying the fic lolz

After getting some nutrients into the boy, it was time for Severus to finally get down to business. Getting the whole story from Potter to figure out the extent of the abuse, as well as figuring out what was going to happen to the boy.

Severus cleared the table the muggle way, not wanting to scare the boy with overt displays of magic, something he was not sure that Potter remembered, what with his family being magic haters. He left the dishes in the sink and brought Potter to the living room, sitting him on the sofa.

“Mr Potter, I would just like to have a chat with you about your family, and your Uncle in particular. Will you tell me what you do everyday?” Severus said, trying to get the boy to open up about his abuse, realising that he might not even realise that he was being treated wrongly. “Well, Harry wakes up an’ helps Aunt ‘Tunia make brea’fast, an’ then I’s clean the toilets. Then, then, I go ‘tside and proon the bushes and pour water. Harry do laundry and help Aunt ‘Tunia ‘till Uncle come home.” Potter said this with a constipated expression on his face, clearly trying his best to remember what he does on a daily basis.

“When Uncle come ‘ome, I’s set the table fo’ dinner an’ give food to him and Dudders. Umm an’ then sometimes Harry will spen’ time with in the cupboard.” Potter said the last sentence all in. One breath and while looking down at the floor. This lead to Severus very suspiciously asking “Spend time? How do you mean? And what cupboard?” Potter, very obviously ignoring the first part of the question, replied with “Harry’s cupboard. Where I’s sleeps?” The innocent but odd reply incited Severus’s curiosity and he asked the boy to bring him to this mysterious cupboard. Potter willingly stood up and lead Severus through the corridor and stopped next to the stairs. Thinking that the boy was pulling he leg, he opened his mouth to say something, but then Potter pulled opened a door the he had previously failed to notice. He followed the boy into the room and felt his heart sink to the bottom of his chest.

“ _Harry’s cupboard. Where he sleeps.”_ They housed him in a fucking **_broom cupboard_** under the stairs?! As the realisation dawned on Severus and cold fury rose up in him, he ducked his head and entered the ‘room’. The miserable, desolate state of the room angered him even more, and he had to fight to keep a neutral expression, so as not to scare Potter. As if that was not bad enough, Severus sat on the tiny single bed in the corner of the cupboard and asked the boy to tell him about the ‘time he spent’ there. After some gentle prodding, Potter spoke in a soft, hesitant tone “When Uncle or Aunty or Dudders get mad or ‘set with Harry, Uncle say ‘bye bye’ to Harry and Harry spen’ time in here. Very dark and Harry very hungry. Need to go pee pee. But, but you can’t tell anyone okay! Don’t want Uncle ta get mad at Harry.”

After listening to the boy, Severus could barely contain the anger he felt on behalf of the boy, and realised that he had been locked in that dingy cupboard by himself for hours at least, maybe even days. He then decided that he had to confront Petunia. How could she do this to a defenceless child? Her own flesh and blood? Sure she was jealous of Lily when they were children, and spiteful when she married Potter senior, but surely that couldn’t justify her actions, even to herself. He was two bloody years old! Severus knew that her actions were due to him being from magical parents as well, looking at the way she treated her whale of a son.

Leading Potter out of the depressing broom cupboard, he guided the boy onto the sofa and said “Wait here for a moment will you, I’ll just be popping up to check on your aunt and cousin.” Potter, now content with after letting the cat out of the bag, so to say, a full stomach and a comfortable perch, had no objections. He would probably enter the land of nod as soon as Severus left the room. Severus steeled himself and went up the staircase, making his way to the room where he could hear sounds of life. He entered a room that looked to be a nursery and saw the baby whale on the floor, hitting a baby doll toy car, while his horse of a Mother looked on from a rocking chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated, if you are so inclined:) (Especially comments with any feedback and constructive criticism hehe)


	3. The Outburst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see Dumbledore in this chapter, everyone take cover.

Realising how much effort going to take to deal with Petunia and her husband, Severus decided it was best to leave it to after he had figured out what to do with Potter. He stunned Petunia and used legilimency to read her mind, getting confirmation of Potter’s story and feeling sick once he finished delving into her mind. He then cast a sleeping charm on Dudders or whatever his name was, levitating him into the nearby crib.

Severus then went back downstairs to Potter, only to see him slumped on the sofa, snoring lightly. An unwitting smile crept up on his face, immediately turning into a scowl once Severus realised what the unfamiliar strain on his face muscles was. He could not help himself however, when he manoeuvred the boy around so he was lying down, laying a soft throw blanket over his little body.

Looking at the clock, Severus realised that the boy’s Uncle would come home from work in a few short hours, according to the information that he had gleamed from Petunia’s mind. He was going to have his work cut out for him if he wanted to get the boy out safely, give the muggles what they deserve _and_ deal with Dumbledore on top of it all. He sent a quick patronus to the old man, briefly stating that there was a situation requesting his presence.

Not five minutes later, the telltale crack of apparition could be heard, and a man in fuchsia robes and a bright purple wizard’s hat appeared in front of Severus. “Severus, you have requested my presence? What is the matter my boy? Surely you could have handled a routine check on young Harry.” Dumbledore said with mild confusion, clearly not noticing the boy on the sofa.

“Routine checks Headmaster? _Routine?_ That would suggest that someone would have come to see him before. As you have reassured me that they have, multiple times. But you haven’t been checking on the boy, have you?” Severus said with held back rage. As Dumbledore began to come up with an excuse, Severus broke and thanked the lords that he had remembered to put a silencing charm over the still sleeping Potter. He yelled “He’s being abused Albus! Abused and neglected! How could you? How could you put a child in this situation when you know what I went through? Don’t, don’t even say that you didn’t know what the Dursley’s were like. Minerva warned you that they were the worst sort of muggles. And still you put him here. Lily’s child. I swore and oath Albus, an oath to keep him safe to my last dying breath. _**How**_ _**could**_ _**you?**_ ” Severus turned around, burying his face into his hands as emotion threatened to overwhelmed him, the wave of anguish over the death of Lily hitting him as fresh as the day he found her laying on the ground.

Contrary to popular belief, he was not in love with Lily. In actuality, he was as gay as a lamppost. Sure, he loved her, but he was not _in_ love with her. She was his sister in all but blood. She was the first person outside of his Mother to show him kindness. She was the only person to see him for who he was, flaws and all, and accept him despite them all. After their falling out in 5th year, Severus had eventually pulled his head out of his arse apologised to Lily. By then however, he had already taken the dark mark and pledged himself to a madman calling himself Voldermort, in a fit of depression over ‘losing’ Lily. They had rekindled their friendship secretly, after the apology, and he and Potter had even come to a grudging understanding and called a truce after their wedding. He even visited the baby Potter, a few days after he was born. It was one of the very few times he saw the boy while Lily was alive. It was then, seeing Lily holding her son with a look of utmost adoration on her face, when he made an oath to her that he would keep her son safe ‘till his last dying breath (a little melodramatic but hey, there was a war going on).

Although Black was publicly named godfather when baby Potter was born, Severus was silently named the godfather of the boy as well. This was done so secretly that Severus did not even know about it until he was informed about it when Lily’s will was released. By the time Lily’s will was read, Potter was already placed at his aunt and uncle’s house, by Dumbledore of course. Severus had wanted to take the boy immediately and raise him just like Lily had wanted, but Dumbledore, the meddling old fool had interfered. He told Severus that it was best to leave him with the Dursley’s, with what he thought was a stable home environment, with both a Mother and Father figure. Severus knew that the old man had an underlying reason for wanting the boy to stay with his muggle relatives, but he could not out-reason his old professor, and Potter stayed at the Dursley’s. Sure enough, Dumbledore had asked him to become a spy right after that, a double agent amongst the death eaters to get information for the ‘light’ side. Dumbledore had also promised regular checkups on Potter, to ensure that the boy was in good hands and that he was receiving the best care possible. At least, that was what Dumbledore promised.

Dumbledore POV:  
Albus stood there, speechless, as he watched a man who was normally stoic and emotionless almost break down in front of him. And it was **_his_** **_fault_**. He had promised that he was going to check on Harry, but he had thought that his relatives were taking care of the boy, as any normal family would do. He did not realise that his negligence on this particular duty would cause this. He had not taken Severus seriously when he insisted that Petunia was a spiteful woman, full of resentment toward her sister, and he had cast Minerva off when she gave him her opinions on the family. “ _I_ _have_ _to_ _fix_ _this”_ Albus thought as he saw his former student regain his composure and lift his face out of his hands, glaring at Albus furiously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to be updating sporadically, especially seeing as I’m starting school very soon so bear with me:) Also, thanks for all the kudos<3


End file.
